


Knights vs Bandits

by lovelesswonder



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Twins, M/M, Morgana is Arthur's and Uther's mom, POV switch, Threesome - M/M/M, but there's a point to it, crackish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 09:45:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6233788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelesswonder/pseuds/lovelesswonder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Merlin moves to Camelot, he enters a world of well, knights and bandits. With the possibility that he could enter a high school war, Merlin wishes he was back in Ealdor or at least a wallflower. However, he ends up befriending the twin leaders of the Knights and a Bandit that used to be friends with them. Confused? Yeah, Merlin is too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knights vs Bandits

“I really wish you guys could have come with me.” Merlin sighed into his cell.

“We’ll definitely come visit you!” Will promised.

“It sucks we won’t be able to finish high school together.” Freya’s voice came through. “Our last year and you had to move.” Before Merlin could respond, the doorbell rang. Since his mom had left to buy some groceries, Merlin said his goodbyes and trotted off to see who it was. A tall, dark haired woman smiled at him as he opened the door. 

“Hello!” She thrust a plate of brownies towards him. “I’m Morgana, your next door neighbor. Are your parents at home? I wanted to invite you guys to dinner.” Merlin grabbed the plate and blinked at her. 

“Um. I’m Merlin. My mum’s buying groceries. She should be back soon. Do you want to come in?” Merlin stepped back and Morgana swept in. “Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you. Don’t stand around, dear. Just sit.” Merlin obeyed and she surveyed him. “How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen.” A grin bloomed on Morgana’s face.

“Are you attending Camelot High?” When he nodded, she let out a small squeal. “Oh, my sons go there! You’ll meet them during dinner. They’re a bit…much, but they have good hearts.” Just then, Merlin’s mom opened the door. “Hello! I’m Morgana, from next door. I wanted to extend an invitation for dinner with my family. I have two boys that are in Merlin’s grade.” Merlin’s mom turned to look at Merlin, and he shrugged. 

“We would love to. I’m Hunith.” Hunith smiled. 

“Great! Is it just you and Merlin?” Morgana asked. When Merlin and Hunith nodded in affirmation, Morgana beamed and gracefully got up. “I will tell Leon. Dinner’s at seven. I look forward to seeing you two.” She pecked Hunith on the cheek and glided away. When she left, Hunith turned to Merlin with a raised eyebrow.

“Merlin.” She frowned. “What have I said about letting strangers in the house?”

“…she introduced herself first.” Merlin weakly argued. So he had a habit of being too unguarded. It wasn’t that bad. In fact, he met Will and Freya because of his unguardedness. When his mom only continued looking at him, Merlin winced. “I wasn’t thinking. She just…kinda…you know.”

“She does seem like a force to be reckoned with.” His mom laughed. “Now come and help me with the groceries.” Letting out a playful huff, Merlin got up and helped her carry the bags in. “I drove by the high school today. It seems much bigger than Ealdor High.” 

“It should be seeing that we’re in the city instead of a small town.” Merlin rolled his eyes and he stuck the milk in the refrigerator. When he turned to look at her, he recognized the look on her face. “Please tell me you didn’t accept Morgana’s dinner invitation because you were worried I wouldn’t be able to make friends on my own.” The silence that answered him told him everything he needed to know. “Mom!”

“I’m just worried.” She defended herself.

“Mom.” Merlin groaned. “Can we cancel it then?”

“Merlin!”

“What? This is going to be so awkward.” Merlin shook his head. “I’m going to go take a shower then.” He threw his hands in the air. 

 

“Hello again, Hunith and Merlin.” Morgana greeted them when she opened the door. A man with dark hair poked his head out an smiled. “This is my husband, Leon.” Morgana waved them in. “My sons are upstairs, but they’ll be down shortly.” She told Merlin.

“Lovely.” Merlin mumbled. His mother jabbed her elbow into his side, and he winced. Morgana showed them to their seats, and Merlin collapsed into the chair, overwhelmed by the amount of food on the table. As the adults talked around him, Merlin stared at the multiple forks and spoons in front of him. Merlin knew his mother’s new job paid her well, but he didn’t know it paid her enough for them to live in a rich neighborhood. A few minutes later, Morgana turned away from the conversation.

“ARTHUR? UTHER? COME DOWN NOW.” She yelled. Immediately, footsteps were heard and two boys walked in a few minutes later. Merlin gaped at the attractive duo while he mentally ran over his clothing choice for the dinner.

“I was talking to Ygraine.” The brown haired one frowned. When he caught sight of Merlin, he paused. “I didn’t know we were having guests over.”

“Who is this?” The blonde one peered at Merlin. “He looks a bit ridiculous.” A finger snuck out to flick Merlin’s ear.

“HEY!” Merlin stood up. “Stop being such a…prat! You cabbage head.” Merlin finished, his cheeks turning red. 

“Honestly, is that the best you can do?” The blonde one chortled. Merlin frowned. 

“Arthur.” Morgana said warningly.

“Right. Erm. Nice to meet you and whatnot.” Arthur coughed before sitting down, his blue eyes never wavering from Merlin’s face. Slightly unnerved by the intense stare, Merlin turned his attention onto Uther, who had seated himself across from Merlin and next to Arthur. Uther glared at Merlin with his steely grey eyes for a while before turning away. So the twins were attractive…and stuck up.

“Well, these are my boys.” Morgana sighed. “Boys, this is Merlin. He’ll be going to Camelot High with you.”

“School started a week ago.” Arthur spoke up. “Good luck with that.” The blonde scoffed. Instead of replying, Merlin aimed a kick in his direction. When Arthur winced, a smug smile crept onto Merlin’s face.

“I think I’ll be fine.” Merlin spat out as he dug into his food. 

 

“Did you remember your lunch?” Hunith called out as Merlin walked away.

“Yes, mum.” Merlin called back.

“What about your-“

“Mum, I’ll be fine!” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Bye.” He waved as she peeled out. Sighing to himself, Merlin glanced at the huge school. Just as he was about to walk through the school doors, they flew open, and someone ran into him. “Ouch…” Merlin groaned from his position under the person. “Get off!” He shoved roughly.

“Sorry!” The guy rolled off and grinned at Merlin. “Professor Catrina was chasing me. Are you new?” The guy peered into Merlin’s shocked face.

“Um, yes. I’m Merlin.” 

“I’m Gwaine.” The guy flipped his hair back and stood up, offering Merlin his hand.

“Nice to meet you.” Merlin grasped it and pulled himself up.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Gwaine winked before pressing a kiss onto Merlin’s hand. Suddenly, a woman stomped out of the school, her hair in complete disarray. “Whoops, gotta jet. Hope we have some classes together! Or lunch!” Gwaine shouted before bolting. Shrugging at the bizarre scene of a teacher throwing her high heels at Gwaine, Merlin continued his trek into the school. Once inside, Merlin gaped at the bustling activity. Everywhere he looked, he saw teenagers in groups. Some were singing; some were dancing. Some were studying; some were writing. Still gaping at the variety of students, Merlin didn’t see the twins until they had surrounded him.

“Hello, Merlin.” Arthur drawled. Next to him, Uther had an arm around blonde lady who smiled at Merlin when she caught his eye. “How’s your first day?”

“As great as it can be seeing that it just started.” Merlin surreptitiously tried to shrug Arthur’s hand off his shoulder. As the group stood there awkwardly, the blonde lady let out a small cough. 

“This is Ygraine.” Uther promptly introduced her.

“Hello.” She smiled sweetly, extending her hand.

“Hey. I’m Merlin. Nice to meet you.” Merlin shook her hand.

“I hope you have a great first day here.” She shook his hand daintily. “Maybe we’ll have some classes together.” Just then, the bell rang. 

“See you around, Merlin.” Arthur clasped his shoulder once before walking off. Ygraine gave Merlin another polite smile as Uther glared. Left alone, Merlin sighed as he searched for the front office. After he found it, he sat in the office with Principal Kilgharrah. After the man’s long and surprisingly inspirational lecture, Merlin bid him adieu and jogged off in search for his first class, History. Finding it, Merlin peeked in to see if he recognized anybody.

“MERLIN!” A shout immediately greeted him. Pulling his head away sharply, Merlin gulped as the professor raised his eyebrows. 

“Um, I’m Merlin. And I’m new.” Merlin fumbled for his schedule as the man’s eyebrows grew higher. 

“Well then, Merlin. I am Professor Gaius. Come find a seat. “

“Here, Merlin!” Gwaine shoved the boy next to him out of his seat. “I saved you a seat.” Blushing as everyone stared at him, Merlin stumbled towards the now vacant seat, mumbling an apology to the boy who was brushing dust off his pants. “We meet again, Merlin.” Gwaine muttered with a huge grin on his face.

“So we do. You got away from that professor then?”

“Nah, not really. A week of detention for me. Anyways, lemme see your schedule.” Gwaine waggled his fingers, and Merlin obediently dropped the strip of paper into his hand. “You have Art next? You should have it with Elena. She’s…you’ll know who she is when you see her. Hmm, I think Gwen has English with you. What is Calculus BC? We have lunch together!” Gwaine cheered loudly. A sudden hush fell over the classroom, and Merlin slouched down, face burning as everyone turned to look at them. “Oops.” Gwaine smiled innocently. 

Gwaine spent the rest of the class sitting in the front.

When the bell rang, Gwaine waited for Merlin by the door. “I’ll show you where the Art room is and introduce you to El.” 

“Thanks.” Merlin beamed. As Gwaine led him through the school, he gave Merlin a tour as well. 

“That water fountain sprays at a weird angle every thirty fifth press, and it’s pretty funny.” As if on cue, a gangly kid bent down and got water squirted on his pants. Gwaine roared with laughter. “It’s awesome right? No one knows it was me.” Gwaine winked. “And here we are. Elena should be running up…right…about...now.” A blonde girl came dashing up, leaving a trail of paper behind her. 

“I’m not late!” She squealed. “Gwaine? What are you doing here?”

“Escorting the lovely Merlin, of course.” Elena turned her attention onto Merlin.

“Hello!” She smiled widely and reached out, dropping several binders onto the floor. “Dang it!” She pouted. Gwaine let out a chuckle and bent down to pick them up. “Thank you.” Elena blushed.

“I have class to get to, but have fun you two!” Gwaine smiled before jogging off.

“Sorry about all that. I’m a bit clumsy.” Elena explained as Merlin held the door open for her. “Anyways, I’m Elena, but Gwaine probably already told you that.” As class started, Merlin found himself relaxing. Maybe this school wouldn’t be so bad.

 

In English, Merlin met Gwen, who promptly introduced him to her boyfriend, Lance. Upon finding out that Merlin had Calculus BC, Lance introduced him to Percy. When Percy found out that they had the same lunch, he proceeded to point out every person that he had sat with at lunch before. After the seventh guy, Merlin chose to just nod. “That’s Emily. I sat with her during the second week of Freshman year. We’re about to get to my table. Look, I sit there now.” Percy pointed to a rowdy table. As Merlin looked at the group, he saw two familiar heads. 

“You sit with Arthur and Uther?” Merlin gaped. 

“Yes, you know them?” Percy smiled. Come on, then.” Percy grabbed Merlin and dragged him over. 

“Hey, Percy.” A guy smiled when he saw the pair. “Who’s that?”

“This is Merlin.” At the mention of his name, Arthur and Uther both looked up. 

“Merlin!” Arthur beamed. “Nice to see you haven’t gotten torn up or anything. Mom would have killed us. Come on, sit down.” Arthur slid over, jostling a pair of giggling girls to make room.

“Um. Well, I actually promised to sit with-”

“MEEEERLIIIN!” A cheery voice sang into his ear. “Why are you standing with this prissy group?” Gwaine sidled up to Merlin. A scowl found its place onto Arthur’s face. “Come on, I saved you a seat.” Raising his eyebrow at the familiar phrase, Merlin tried to subtly look for whoever was unfortunate enough to get shoved off of their seat. “An actual one this time.” 

“Um, see you around.” Merlin waved an awkward good bye at the silent group. Arthur gave him a small grimace as Gwaine led Merlin away. As Merlin walked to the other side of the room, he noticed an empty lunch table.

“Here, this is my table.” Gwaine spun around dramatically. Looking around, Merlin gulped at the scowl the guy in the center was sending him. “This is Mordred, Nimueh, Catrina, Valiant, Cedric, Tristan-“ Gwaine began pointing at his friends, and each of them gave Merlin a verbal hello.

“I’m Cenred.” The guy in the middle spoke up. “What were you doing speaking with the Knights?” Blinking at the random question, Merlin tilts his head.

“I’ve never seen a knight before. What do you mean?” Gwaine let out a small cough.

“He means them.” Gwaine pointed at Arthur and Uther’s table. “They’re the Knights, and we’re the Bandits.” 

“Oh. Percy was introducing them to me. Arthur and Uther are my next door neighbors. Why are you called the Bandits? And why are they called the Knights?”

“If you want to join our group, we better not see you with them.” Cenred said, completely ignoring Merlin’s question. Cenred turned away, a clear dismissal. 

“Uh, come here, Merlin.” Gwaine tugged on Merlin’s arm and guided him to an empty seat. 

“What is going on?” Merlin asked.

“Right. It’s kind of a long story that isn’t really meant to be told in public.” Gwaine replied. “I’ll tell you after school. Now, let’s see what you have for lunch.” 

 

The rest of the day passed by peacefully. Merlin saw Ygraine in his Physics class, but the girl only gave him a polite smile. In health, he met Aithusa, Kilgharrah’s niece. The pale girl didn’t speak much, but Merlin found the silence much better than the noise. When the bell rang, Merlin waved a good bye to Aithusa and trotted off to find the gym. 

“Merlin!” A familiar voice drawled out. Peering behind him, Merlin stifled a groan when he saw the twins.

“Are you two ever apart?” He asked in lieu of a greeting. 

“Don’t be silly. Of course we are.” Arthur rolled his eyes. “Where are you headed?”

“Gym.” Merlin replied.

“What a coincidence! We are too. Let’s go.” Arthur tugged on Merlin, and the slimmer male was forced to follow. “I cannot believe you’d rather sit with the Bandits than us.” The blonde pouted. “Don’t tell me you’re joining them? We met you first!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Merlin sighed in exasperation. “I’m not joining anyone! I promised to sit with Gwaine at lunch today, and I keep my promises.”

“So you’ll sit with us tomorrow?” Arthur brightened up. 

“No. Not until I find out what’s going on.” Merlin yanked his arm away from Arthur when they reached the gym. When Arthur opened his mouth (probably to explain the whole story about Knights and Bandits), Merlin shook his head. “From what I heard, you’re one of the leaders, so you’d be biased in telling the story. Thanks for showing me the way.” Merlin told them before walking off to find the coach.

Because Merlin didn’t buy the uniform yet, he was told to sit on the bleachers and watch his classmates play basketball. After a few minutes, he got bored with seeing all the guys whooping and cheering, so he leaned back, closing his eyes. “Hey.” Eyes flying open, Merlin looked over to see a smiling guy.

“Um, hello.” Merlin waved.

“You’re Merlin right? The new guy? I’m Ewan.” The boy smiled. “I heard the Bandits and the Knights are both trying to recruit you.” 

“What?” Merlin sat up, alarmed. “They’re trying to what?”

“Oh. I guess you didn’t know.” Ewan smiled. “You’ll have to pick soon though.”

“What side are you on?” Merlin asked, curious.

“Oh, me? I was on the Knights, but then I turned neutral. Their rivalry isn’t for the faint of heart.” He smiled wryly.

“You can be neutral? How?” Before Ewan could answer, the coach called for him, and Merlin was left alone once more. Groaning to himself, Merlin decided to try to take a quick nap. However, his quick nap seemed to last well after school was let out. “Crap.” Merlin frowned when he noticed the unnatural stillness of the halls. “Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” 

“Merlin!” A voice called his name. Turning, Merlin smiled as he saw Gwaine jogging up to him. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep in gym.”

“…How is that even possible?” Gwaine stared at him. “Never mind. Anyways, you wanna come over to my house? It’s really close by.”

“Sure. Let me tell my mom though.” Merlin’s fingers flew as he quickly texted my mom. “Alright, let’s go.” 

 

“Your house is huge.” Merlin gaped. Gwaine let out a small chuckle and continued walking. 

“This is my room. Make yourself comfortable.” Gwaine let out a sigh and flopped onto the bed. Merlin gingerly seated himself on the floor and waited. 

“Um…” Merlin finally let out a small cough when it seemed like Gwaine wasn’t going to say anything. 

“Wha-? Oh yeah. You’re here.” Gwaine let out a yawn. “Sorry, I’m beat. Anyways, you wanted to know about the Bandits and the Knights, right?” Merlin nodded. “It’s a long story, mate.”

“So, it used to be Arthur, Uther, Lancelot, Cenred, Valiant, and me. We grew up together; our parents were friends. We were really close friends up until we were almost out of middle school. At that time, we had met Ygraine and Nimueh, who had moved here a while ago. Those two were really close friends, and they fit perfectly in our group. In middle school, Cenred and Ygraine began dating. The group began to split. It turns out Cenred wasn’t the only one who had feelings for Ygraine.”

“Uther?” Merlin asked, thinking about the couple. 

“Along with Nimueh.” Merlin felt his mouth dropped. “Yeah. The three of them had gotten pretty close because of their ‘unrequited’ love, but when Cenred started dating Ygraine, Nimueh and Uther were not happy. That caused the group to split. Uther, Nimueh, and Arthur formed one side while Cenred, Ygraine, and Valiant formed one side.”

“But what about you and Lancelot?”

“We didn’t know what to do. These were our best friends fighting, how could we choose a side? In the end, Lancelot and I decided to split up and choose a group because we thought this dispute would be over soon. Lancelot went with Uther, and I went with Cenred. Things got really ugly after that. There were always fights breaking out. Everyone at school began to call us the Knights and the Bandits. After a year and a half, Ygraine broke up with Cenred, telling him that she didn’t feel the same way towards him anymore. Uther immediately asked her out, causing her to switch to the Knights’ side…and Nimueh to switch to the Bandits’ side. Ygraine’s brothers, Tristan and Agravaine, had joined the Bandits because of her relationship with Cenred, but when she switched to the Knights’ side, they didn’t follow. They hated Uther. It’s been two years now and there has been no sign of stopping.” 

“But…don’t you want the group back together?” Merlin asked, remembering the look of contempt on Gwaine’s face when he saw Arthur during lunch. 

“I used to.” Gwaine sighed, looking lost. “It’s just…things got ugly. Cenred and Valiant are more into physical torment, but Arthur and Uther…they use words. It’s easier to heal wounds, but not so much emotional scars.”

“Oh, Gwaine.” Merlin bit his lip, wanting to comfort the other boy but unclear on how.

“Everyone in the school either picks the Bandits’ or the Knights’ side.”

“Wait, Ewan said he was neutral.” Merlin mentioned. “Can’t I be neutral?”

“You can. But it’s hard.” Gwaine told him. “Did you see that empty table in the middle at lunch?” When Merlin nodded, Gwaine continued. “That’s where all the neutral people sit. You only get one chance to be neutral. Gwen, she used to be neutral until she started dating Lance. Elena is still neutral since she talks to both Bandits and Knights. Sophie used to be neutral until she started talking to Arthur more than Cenred. If you have friends on both sides, they will consider you neutral. If you’re seen with one group more than the other, they’ll think you chose a side. You only get one chance at being neutral.” Gwaine explained. “So what will you choose?”

“I think I would like to be neutral.” Merlin finally mumbled. 

“I thought so.” Gwaine laughed. “Now, enough of this serious talk. You any good at Mario Kart?” 

 

Merlin had been at Camelot High for almost two months. On his second day, when he sat at the empty table, Gwaine quickly followed him, and Percy had joined the duo. Of course, the two were wary of each other, but it slowly got better. Outside of Arthur trying to get Merlin to join him every day during Gym, none of the other people interacted with him. Merlin had gotten used to his life at Camelot High, but of course, things had to change. 

Merlin hummed as he walked through the halls. School had been out for almost an hour already, and he finally finished the Physics lab. As he walked by the Chemistry room, he heard some whispers. As he prepared to walk by, he heard someone say Arthur’s name. Pausing, Merlin debated to himself before he sighed and pressed his ear to the door.

“I read that this could knock someone out for an hour. We can use it on him tomorrow.” A masculine voice said.

“You’re sure Uther will be gone?”

“Yes. Uther will be busy, and Arthur will be alone. He won’t see this coming.” Pushing away, Merlin’s mind raced as he tried to put the puzzle together. As he reran through the conversation, he realized who was in the room. Valiant and Cedric. Merlin didn’t really hang out with those two, but sometimes they would come up to Gwaine during lunch. When he heard a chair being pushed, Merlin quickly dashed away. 

They said that they were going after Arthur tomorrow, but what time? Merlin tried to remember Arthur’s schedule, but found that he couldn’t. He only knew about the mornings, lunch, and Gym. Sighing to himself, Merlin leaned against the wall, debating what he should do. He knew that if he told Arthur, it would take him out of the neutral zone. Of course, not telling Arthur might result in something horrible happening to the blonde. “Urgh, so complicated.” Merlin groaned. Biting his lip, Merlin decided to just follow Arthur (not really stalking) around, and if something happens, Merlin will deal with it then. Nodding at his plan, Merlin trotted off.

The next day, Merlin devoted his time to watching Arthur covertly from the corner of his eye. Of course, since most of the classes they had weren’t near each other, Merlin had to fly out of his classroom and dash to the other side of the school. He was given some strange looks, but so far, nobody said anything. Finally, Gym came. 

“Are you following me around?” Arthur draped an arm over Merlin’s shoulder. 

“Um. Nope.” Merlin squeaked out. “Not at all.” Arthur rolled his eyes. “Um, where’s your brother?” Merlin asked, not seeing the other twin.

“For the last time, Merlin, we aren’t always together.” Arthur rolled his eyes. “If you really need to know, he’s skipping this period because the principal needed his help.”

“With what?” 

“I don’t know.” Arthur shrugged. “Uther is the president of the student council. It’s not that unusual. Now come on, want to be on my team?”

“Sure.” Merlin replied, thinking it would be better to observe from a spot near Arthur. When Arthur beamed, Merlin frowned. “Wait, never mind.”

“Too late!” Arthur crowed happily. Merlin groaned to himself. The blonde was terribly athletic…and competitive. Merlin could see the tortured expressions of Arthur’s team mates from across the court every day. 

“You better appreciate this.” Merlin mumbled. The class period passed by quickly, and by the end of it, Merlin was sweating buckets. “I hate you.” He told the blonde petulantly. 

“Whatever, Merlin. You should thank me.” The blonde slammed his locker and shrugged on his backpack. “See you.”

“You’re leaving?” Merlin panicked, trying to stick his gangly legs into his pants faster.

“Yes. Don’t tell me you’re too scared to walk by yourself.” Arthur chuckled. “Do you need me to walk you home?” 

“Yes.” Merlin nodded. Arthur blinked at him in surprised before letting out a guffaw. 

“Real funny. See you.” Arthur walked away, his shoulders still shaking with mirth. Cursing to himself, Merlin quickly stuck his feet into his shoes and dashed out. 

Blinking at the crowded hallway, Merlin sighed when he found a bright golden head. Unfortunately, with the massive crowd, Merlin soon lost it. When it was finally clear, Merlin flew into a panic. Running in the direction he saw Arthur leave, Merlin scanned his surroundings for Arthur or worse, Arthur surrounded by Valiant and Cedric. When he spotted the blonde walking besides a fence, Merlin nearly sagged in relief. However, the relief quickly turned into horror when he saw Valiant and Cedric lurking in the shadows. When Cedric reached out, his hand grasping something, Merlin knew he had to act. 

Peering around him, Merlin picked up a big branch and ran towards the two. Swinging the branch, Merlin caused Cedric to fall down. “What the- Merlin?” Arthur gaped at the sight. His eyes shifted to a point behind Merlin. “Valiant?” The broad man scowled and stalked off. “What did you do?” Arthur shook his head and bent down to examine the unconscious body. “Is that-?” Arthur unclenched Cedric’s fist to reveal some white powder. “It is.” Arthur exhaled.

“Um…” Merlin started inching away. 

“Thank you.” Arthur looked up at Merlin .”I never thought they would go this low.” Arthur kicked the limp arm in disgust. “You do know that you aren’t neutral anymore, right?” Arthur casually mentioned. 

“Eh?” Merlin gaped. 

“It’s alright, you can sit with me tomorrow at lunch. Percy can finally return to his seat as well. Now, come along. I’m famished. Do you like BLTs? Mum likes to make those sometimes.” Arthur began walking off again. When Merlin made no move to follow him, Arthur sighed. “Come on, Merlin!” Breath hitching, Merlin scurried to obey. What did he get himself into?

 

When Merlin got to school the next day, everyone ceased talking. Blushing as they all stared at him, Merlin tried to run into a classroom, but a body stopped him. 

Looking up, Merlin gulped when he saw Uther glaring at him. “Thank you.” The older twin finally told him. “For helping Arthur.”

“Oh. It was no problem.” Merlin smiled. Uther let out a small cough and nodded stiffly. 

“Merlin!” Gwaine appeared next to him, an Uther scowled. “I heard you…Pendragon.” Gwaine glared back. 

“What do you want? He’s part of the Knights now.” Uther growled. 

“Yes, well he was my friend first!”

“Weren’t we all?” Uther snapped back, and an awkward silence fell over the group. 

“Um. It was on accident.” Merlin finally said, uncomfortable with the silence. “I um, overheard Valiant and Cedric.” He lowered his voice. “Talking about knocking Arthur unconscious with some chemical and I couldn’t just, you know. Not do something.” Gwaine nodded.

“I probably would have done the same thing.”

“Really?” Uther and Merlin both said at the same time. 

“Contrary to your popular belief, I still remember our friendship and I don’t actually hate you.” Gwaine sighed. 

“But you. You went with Cenred.”

“Because we thought this stupid thing was going to be over soon!” Gwaine snapped back.

“We?”

“Lance and I.” Gwaine sighed. “But it still isn’t, and Cenred and Valiant are getting more lethal. They’re not the same.” Gwaine mumbled. 

“Why don’t you come to us then?” Uther offered. Gwaine stared at him for a second before letting out a small chuckle. 

“Will I be welcomed?”

“You’ll always be welcomed.” Uther told him. 

“Not what Arthur told me.” Gwaine sighed. “But I’ll come back. Because I’ll miss Merlin’s ramblings.”

“Hey!” Merlin cried, pouting. Gwaine turned to look at Merlin, and Merlin fell silent when he saw the sheen covering Gwaine’s eyes. “I…why don’t we go to class?” 

“Yeah.” Gwaine replied. “See you, Uther.” Gwaine waved and the two walked off, a small skip in Gwaine’s footsteps. 

 

Lunch was an awkward affair. Yes, Gwaine was welcomed with open arms, but he decided to ignore Arthur and focus mostly on Merlin and Percy. In return, Arthur draped himself all over Merlin, speaking over Gwaine whenever the brunette began talking. In addition to that, Merlin could feel the glares of the other side every time he moved. 

“Merlin, have you seen-“ Gwaine spoke up.

“MERLIN, do you want a piece?” Arthur cut Gwaine off, offering a spoonful of stew to Merlin.

“Um.” Merlin grimaced.

“I guess you’re still a little princess, aren’t you?” Gwaine laughed darkly. “Always needing attention.”

“Excuse me?” Arthur fumed, standing up. “At least I’m not some-“

“Mangy stray you were forced to befriend? Or were you going to use a different insult?” Gwaine raised his eyebrow. The entire table had fallen silent.

“Um. Maybe you guys should take this somewhere more private.” Merlin suggested. Arthur had a guilty expression, and he nodded reluctantly. The two got up and walked out, and slowly the table began to fill with noise.

“It would be nice if those two mended their relationship.” Ygraine spoke up. “And it’ll all be because of you.” She smiled.

“Um, no, not really.” Merlin flushed. 

“Don’t be so modest.” She smiled sweetly. “Some friendships are meant to last, but things get in the way. To mend those friendships would be the greatest gift.” She sighed, looking across the room. Blinking, Merlin turned to the stoic man next to her. Uther didn’t say anything, but he nodded his head. Pondering those words, Merlin turned back to his food.

A few minutes later (nearly 20…lunch time was almost over), Gwaine and Arthur came back, each sporting bruises. Gaping at them, Merlin leapt up. “Are you alright?” He frantically fluttered his hands around.

“We’re good.” Gwaine grinned. 

“Yeah, don’t be such a girl, Merlin.” Arthur smiled back. Just then, the bell rang. 

“I didn’t get to finish my food.” Arthur groaned. 

“Not like you need any more weight.” Gwaine mumbled.

“I don’t like what you’re implying…” Arthur glared at Gwaine. Gwaine just laughed.

 

A few weeks after Gwaine had rekindled his friendship with Arthur, disaster struck. One of the first things Arthur did right after was warn Merlin about how the Bandits might attack him. Since Merlin was part of the reason why Gwaine, one of the former Bandits, had switched sides, Cenred and Vincent would not let him go unscathed. The twins had made sure that a Knight or two were always with Merlin, but Merlin valued his privacy. Now, thinking back on it, Merlin wished he had just allowed it instead of sneaking off when Owain and Elyan were distracted to use the restroom.

“Well well well.” A dark chuckle filled Merlin’s ears. “Looks like we found ourselves a lost birdie.” Cenred gripped Merlin’s wrists harder. Once Merlin had finished doing his business, he walked out of the restroom to find the two waiting for him. They grabbed him, and now he was in an empty classroom. 

“You should have chosen our group!” Valiant hissed as he sent a fist towards Merlin’s stomach. 

“Well, maybe if you two weren’t such brutes, I would have considered it!” Merlin snarled back once he got his breath back. Unfortunately, all that earned him was a kick. “Not really disproving me here.” Merlin coughed out, black spots dancing around his vision. The two let out a ferocious growl and began assailing him. When one of them kicked him in the back of his head, Merlin began to black out. The last thing he saw was two evil grins.

The first thing he saw when he woke up was two concerned faces. 

“Merlin! You’re awake.” Arthur sighed in relief. 

“It seems that I am.” Merlin tried to sit up. Looking around, he realized he was in a hospital room. “What happened?”

“We found you getting beaten up by Valiant and Cenred.” Uther told him. “We’re sorry we didn’t get to you in time.”

“Erm, it’s alright.” Merlin blinked at the soft look Uther had. Granted, the older twin had thawed out towards him after he joined their group, but he had never seen such a gentle look on the other male’s face. “What happened to those two?”

“They won’t be coming back for a long time.” Arthur snarled. Blinking at the rage on Arthur’s face, Merlin coughed. 

“Um, that’s great.” Merlin hoped that the twins didn’t do anything horrible to Cenred and Valiant. “So, how long have I been in here?”

“Only a day.” Uther replied. “You were unconscious, and when we found you, we called the hospital. You have some broken bones and bruises, but you’re fine.”

“That’s great!” Merlin beamed and tried to get off the bed. “What the-“ Merlin grimaced as he felt a dead weight on his foot. Pulling the blankets back, Merlin gaped at the bright pink cast on his ankle. “Why is it pink?” Merlin stared.

“Well, since you’re such a girl, Merlin, I figured you would have wanted a pink cast.” Arthur drawled, his dark frown smoothing into a smile. 

“You prat.” Merlin sighed. “So when will I get to leave? And where’s my mum?”

“Soon. Your mother had to go to work.” Uther answered. Merlin turned to look at the eldest twin.

“How soon is soon?” Merlin huffed, a piece of his hair falling over his eyes. Uther took a step closer and gently pushed Merlin’s hair back in place.

“Soon enough.” The elder twin smiled. 

“Um, um, that’s er, great.” Merlin stammered as he looked everywhere besides the man in front of him. As Merlin determinedly stared at the painting on the wall, he missed the glances the twins exchanged with each other.

“Do you want to go now?” Arthur piped up.

“Can I?” Merlin perked up.

“Well, you’re supposed to wait for your mom to come back, so she can take care of you, but if we take you to our house, it should be fine.” Arthur explained. Merlin beamed and nodded.

“I’ll go talk to the nurse then.” Uther volunteered, and Merlin breathed out a sigh of relief as he finally moved away. When Uther left, Merlin turned to Arthur, a question about school on his tongue, but at the sight of the blonde’s scrutinizing stare, Merlin stopped.

“What?” He asked instead.

“Have you noticed something happening over the past few weeks?” Arthur slowly asked.

“Um. Not really.” Merlin replied just as slowly.

“Really. You haven’t noticed something odd with the seating arrangements during lunch?”

“Well, Gwaine and I sit with you guys now, if that’s what you’re asking.” Merlin tilted his head. 

“No, you idiot.” Arthur started frowning. “Anything concerning my brother?” Merlin paused and tried to think back. Truth be told, Uther still scared Merlin, so Merlin tried not to be in contact with the other male as much as possible. As Merlin tried to remember who sat near Uther and in front of him, he found out that he did notice something.

“Ygraine hasn’t been sitting there anymore!”

“Great observation skills, Merlin.” Arthur rolled his eyes. “Would you know why?”

“Because…she got sick of seeing your face so often?” Merlin guessed.

“Merlin, you truly are an idiot.” Arthur shook his head. “Although it is thanks to you that we’re getting an old friend back.” 

“What?” Merlin asked in confusion just as Uther came back in.

“It’ all cleared with the nurses. Of course, if anyone asks, we’re cousins. How’d it go?” Uther turned to Arthur.

“Not very far. We haven’t even passed the first section.” Arthur groaned back as he pulled crutches from under the bed. “Come on, Merlin, unless you want us to carry you.”

“I’m so confused.” Merlin blinked at the twins’ conversation. 

“Merlin.” Arthur said warningly. Hurriedly, Merlin grabbed the crutches and tried to get off the bed. 

“I don’t know how to use these!” Merlin hissed out as he accidentally jammed his foot into the wall. Uther stared at him for a while before walking over and picking him up. “No no no, feet on the ground!” Merlin squealed as he grabbed onto Uther’s broad shoulders.

“Don’t be silly; this way is quicker.” Uther grunted back as he walked out. Falling silent, Merlin closed his eyes and tried not to look at the ground. It made him dizzy. “Here, get in.” Uther stopped a few moments later, and Merlin cracked open an eye to see a car. The twins gently placed Merlin into the car and arranged him so he was comfortable. 

“We have to go get your medicine first, and then we’ll drive you to our house okay?” Arthur lingered back after Merlin was all buckled up. 

“Thank you.” Merlin fiddled with his seatbelt. The blonde left and walked to his seat, and the group began driving away. As the car moved along in silence, Merlin felt his eyes dropping.

“It’s alright if you fall asleep. The pain meds are still in your bloodstream.” Uther told him. Merlin only blinked sleepily in reply before dozing off.

 

“I think we should wait for him to wake up.” Uther grumbled as he watched Arthur caress Merlin.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for months!” Arthur exclaimed in return. “I can’t wait any longer.” He smiled at the lax form fondly.

“You are the more impatient one out of the both of us.” Uther rolled his eyes before leaning towards and massaging Merlin’s foot. 

“And you’re the more prudish one. A foot massage, really?” 

“At least I’m not the one giving him a belly rub.” Uther replied wryly. Arthur pressed his whole hand onto Merlin’s stomach and began pushing it upwards. “Why don’t you switch positions with me then if you think I’m so prudish?” Grumbling, Arthur acquiesced. He slid down the bed and sat next to Merlin. Uther bent down and placed a kiss on to the boy’s stomach, and Merlin twitched. The twins froze.

“Stop it Will.” Merlin mumbled, his eyes slanting open. When none of the boys made any further movement, Merlin seemed to doze off again.

“I hope this Will doesn’t do this to you…” Arthur raised an eyebrow, and Merlin’s eyes flew open. 

“Where am I?” Merlin asked as he looked around the room. “And why is everything red?”

“My room.” Uther responded from his position near Merlin’s stomach. Merlin lifted his head up in order to look at him and froze at the sight.

“What…are you doing?” He finally squeaked out. Instead of answering, Uther bent down and pressed a kiss onto Merlin’s flat stomach. “Wh-wh-wh-what?!” Merlin shrieked as he tried to roll away. 

“Calm down, Merlin.” Arthur placed a hand on his leg, preventing him from moving. 

“He’s, he’s kissing my tummy!” Merlin pointed. 

“I could be doing a lot more.” Uther hummed and gently bit down. 

“Ah!” Merlin cried out. “But I don’t understand. What’s going on?” 

“I knew you were slow, but I didn’t know you were oblivious!” Arthur rolled his eyes before leaning down and pressing a kiss onto Merlin’s lips. Merlin’s mouth fell open, and the blonde snuck his tongue into Merlin’s mouth. Within moments, Merlin was panting harshly, his eyes glazed. Arthur pulled away, a smug expression on his face.

“Why do you get to kiss him first?” Uther’s petulant tone shook Merlin out of his daze. He could only sit there and watch as Uther leaned forwards and planted a kiss onto him. Uther’s hand cupped Merlin’s jaw and tilted it up. After Uther successfully plundered Merlin’s mouth, the elder twin pulled away. Merlin could only stare at him in shock.

“But. Ygraine.” Merlin finally mumbled out through his numb lips.

“Seriously, Merlin?” Arthur rolled his eyes. “That’s what I was trying to tell you before we left the hospital. Uther and Ygraine broke up weeks ago. She’s not sitting next to him anymore, remember?”

“Oh.” Merlin blinked and looked down. 

“So, can we continue?” Uther asked, his fingers playing with the hem of Merlin’s shirt. 

“I-I, what?” Merlin flushed.

“I think we should show him instead of tell him.” Uther commented as he began pushing the shirt up.

“Mm, it seems like the medication is addling his brain.” Arthur replied as he bent down to lick at Merlin’s earlobe. Merlin gasped at the twins began sucking and groping-

 

“EWWWW, STOP!” Clarissa screeched, hands clasped over her ears. Arthur smirked as his fifteen year old daughter started fake-gagging. “THAT’S DISGUSTING!” Before Arthur could say anything, the door flew open, and Merlin dashed through.

“What happened? Who’s hurt? Is there blood?” A panicked expression was on his face.

“You told me to tell the rest of the story about how we got together.” Arthur mischievously shrugged. “And then she started screaming.”

“THAT’S BECAUSE YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST TIME YOU GUYS HAD SEX!”

“YOU WHAT?” Merlin yelled, his face turning scarlet. “ARTHUR! SHE’S ONLY 15!”

“What? You told me to continue from where you left off. What happened after we left the hospital was the first time we made love.” Arthur waggled his eyebrows, and another shriek erupted from their daughter.

“What is going on in here?” A steely voice cut through their argument. Arthur turned to see his twin standing in the hallway. “I thought I told you that I had very  
important work to do today and should not be disturbed unless needed.”

“Arthur was telling our daughter about the first time we…we…did it!” Merlin shrieked.

“Oh?” Uther raised an eyebrow. “I remember. You were very enthusi-“

“LA LA LA LA!” Clarissa sang loudly. “I CAN’T HEEEEEAAAAR YOU!”

“It’s not like I was going to go into the details.” Arthur pouted when Merlin began glaring at him. As Arthur began remembering their first time together in full detail, he began to get hard.

“I cannot believe the two of you!” Merlin ranted, his eyes blazing. Arthur stared at Merlin lustfully as the brunette got more and more spirited. Glancing at his brother, Arthur noticed that Uther was staring at Merlin in the same way. Then Uther turned and connected his eyes with Arthur. The two nodded subtlety.

“Clarissa.” Uther calmly stated, causing both his daughter and raven partner to freeze. 

“Father?” 

“I think your Aunt Ygraine and Nimueh were talking about redecorating their living room. Why don’t you head next door and see if you can help them with anything.” Uther told her. Their blonde daughter glanced at the three of them before groaning.

“Ew. Ew, ew, ew, ew.” She mumbled.

“Or if you prefer, here’s thirty dollars. Make yourself scarce for at least an hour.”

“I’M NOT COMING BACK FOR AT LEAST THREE HOURS!” Clarissa shrieked before bolting. 

“…No. I can see the looks in your eyes.” Merlin hissed as he backed away from them.

“You can run…” Uther started.

“But you can’t hide!” Arthur finished, and Merlin scampered away, curses and giggles escaping from his mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so originally this was supposed to be a smutty oneshot...but since I like to write stories over the span of like months, I ended up finishing it when I wasn't in a very smutty mood...so hence the weird POV switch and ending. But I hope I made you laugh?  
> Ahahahahahaha and I also wrote this last year...in the summer...so forgive my mistakes. I wasn't originally going to post this until laater, but I didn't want to neglect my readers for too long so I just posted it without legitimaately editing it because I'm in the middle of figuring out who the traitor in the group is from this anime. So sorry if this fic makes you want to cry. Love y'all!  
> And for those who want to know...I'm watching Rokka: Brave of the Six Flowers.


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